


[an excerpt] the first meeting after death

by misscuriouscat



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, An Excerpt, Conversation about Calligraphy, Conversation about Stars, Immortal!Minho, Immortality, M/M, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29537394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misscuriouscat/pseuds/misscuriouscat
Summary: They meet again after death. Minho is a man hiding under the name Bin Yeongsu, and Jisung is a boy called Man Jeongsi.But, of course, Minho doesn't know it yet.--Minho is an immortal — a choice he made before that he regretted right away because it cost the life of someone he loved.(an au that we were supposed to write for a minsung event. we'll write it soon though. we just want to post this)
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	[an excerpt] the first meeting after death

**Author's Note:**

> misscuriouscat:  
> \+ yes, this was what was talking about on my two posted fics. but alas, something came up (spoiler: life). anyway, we'll write it soon. for now, please have this!  
> \+ let us know what you think! thanks *waving enthusiastically*

A million stars were blinking at Minho as he looked up at the indigo sky that very night. He was outside, sitting on the wooden floor at the entrance of the _hanok_. As he sat, his fingers travel to his knees to settle there, pinching hard on the skin through the material; this was his way to ground himself.

He couldn’t sleep earlier; he felt like something kept him awake, leading him to bring his feet to watch the heavens. But looking up at the stars now, Minho got reminded of someone who was always fascinated with its sight. Someone who constantly watched with awe as if it was always their first time to see the galaxy above them. Someone who wasn’t here anymore. Someone who was already gone. Someone from years ago. Someone who had so much love for the stars that it was embedded in their name.

Minho didn’t sometimes watch the stars because of that, because of unwanted recollections that mingle with his thoughts. So he squeezed his skin again, looking away from the sky. Around him, the night breeze danced, embracing him as if it sympathized with him.

Minho’s eyes traveled to his side, where he tried to focus and realized a silhouette was approaching him. Still in a trance, Minho almost whispered a _name_. He bit his lips as he pressed harder on his skin, cursing himself that he strayed with his thoughts.

**“Yeongsu- _nim_?”** Man Jeongsi — the silhouette’s owner — called, trying to catch Minho’s attention. His pace toward the latter was steady, determined as if he was on a mission.

The latter blinked at him slowly, whispering, **“Man? You are still awake?”** His eyes registered the black hanbok, the younger’s signature clothing. It didn’t quite stand out from the darkness of their surrounding, but Minho’s brain had already memorized the hues of the younger’s every attire.

Man Jeongsi gestured to the space beside Minho, unspokenly asking to sit there; the other nodded in permission. **“I was about to ask the same thing, _hyeong-nim_. You rarely stay out late.”**

Once again, the other blinked. **“I am still getting used to you calling me anything other than _nauri_ ,”** Minho commented. He tore his gaze away from the young man, coughing. **“I cannot sleep, that is why. The night is sending a message perchance,”** he continued to remark.

The younger chuckled, owning another look from Minho. **“With the subject of titles and name, may I ask one question?”** he inquired later, finally fixing himself beside the other man. With an answered _‘Sure’_ from Minho, Man Jeongsi tilted his head as he probed, **“Why do you call me by my family name?”**

Minho furrowed his eyebrows. **“It is a custom that I grew up with. Do you not prefer it?”** he inquired back, glancing at the younger again, steadily watching as he waited for a response.

**“My name would be alright?”** Man Jeongsi playfully replied, but his tone had a tiny hint of uncertainness. Like he was testing the waters with Minho, but he still wanted to look lighthearted.

And Minho licked his lips, mentally practicing to pronounce the younger’s given name. _Jeongsi. Jeongsi Jeongsi Jeongsi_. **“I’ll keep that in mind,”** he said instead when his brain seemed that it couldn’t keep up, especially his heart. He focused his gaze back on the stars. **“But how about you? Why are you here?”**

Man Jeongsi arranged his position beside Minho, lifting his body to face the other. He crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knees as he steadily looked at Minho. **“Before I answer that, Yeongsu- _hyeong-nim_ , perhaps you can permit me to raise another question?”**

Without pausing his scan of the sky to look at the younger’s face, Minho retorted, **“Go ahead.”**

**“ _Hyeong-nim_ ,”** Man Jeongsi started, an unspoken sentence hung at the end: _Look at me._ And Minho obliged, shifting his eyes, becoming face to face once again with the younger. Man Jeongsi continued to speak, **“Do you hate being called ‘Su-bin’ by the little ones?”** A small movement tugged at the corner of Man Jeongsi’s lips.

And Minho fixed his gaze on it unconsciously. A few seconds passed before he could form a sentence. **“Until I learn of its origin, maybe I will continue to dislike it.”**

A gust of wind passed by again, kissing their naked skin cold; Minho shivered. But when a sudden chuckle filled the air, he felt unexpectedly warm anew. Minho noted how Man Jeongsi’s lips curved into a smile, and he realized late that the sound came from the younger. It took him a while, but when he did, Minho couldn’t help but beam also. His hand flew to Man Jeongsi’s shoulder and smacked it.

**“I knew it! You told them to call me that, did you not?”** Minho squinted his eyes in suspicion.

The younger’s head shook to say no, but the grin that was still on his face said otherwise. **“ _Hyeong-nim_ , let me explain!”** He caught his breath, heaving a happy sigh afterward. **“I misarranged your name by mistake. Then it seemed that ‘Su-bin’ stuck with them.”**

**“You miswrote my name?”** Minho was incredulous, narrowing his eyes more at the younger. **“What were you doing writing my name in front of the children?”**

**“I was trying to teach them calligraphy,”** Man Jeongsi answered, gradually turning serious, his smirk disappearing. **“But I am not good at it.”** His fingers were fidgeting, thumb and pointer of both hands pinching every tip of his digits.

**“Clearly,”** Minho commented, making the younger frown. It didn’t even appear to be a frown; it was a pucker of the lips. So Minho can’t help but stare once more at the younger’s mouth.

**“How can I teach them what I do not know? I, too, want to learn calligraphy, _hyeong-nim_ ,”** Man Jeongsi stated, sulking, unaware of the eyes gawking on his lips.

**“Maybe we can learn together,”** Minho announced, getting shocked after he heard himself, eyes replacing its focus on the sky. He wasn’t particular about calligraphy, so he didn’t know the reason for his sudden proclamation. He cleared his throat. As a way to change the subject, Minho asked, **“How about ‘Si-bin’? Why do the children call you that?”**

And as quickly as the other altered the matter on hand, Man Jeongsi’s face was burning red. **“Ah,”** he tried to say. **“I honestly do not know, _hyeong-nim_.”** His hands were twitching again, but it can be entirely because of a different purpose. **“Can I also shift the matter of conversation?”**

**“Do what you want.”**

_‘Do what you want; my heart is yours anyway.’_

Minho shook his head, demanding the thought to go away — a line from the past, the past that should stay as it was, never coming out just to interfere with the present. It wasn’t like Minho wasn’t already confused, feeling things whenever Man Jeongsi was around, his heart becoming unstable.

**“Yeongsu- _nim_ , do you like the stars?”**

The question prompted Minho to move his head in Man Jeongsi’s direction for the third time that night. The action had been abrupt that his neck almost snapped. **“W-Why do you ask?”** Here he was, willing his lingering feelings to go away, yet the night had other plans, making Minho more confused using the younger.

Man Jeongsi gave him a warm tiny smile. **“You have been staring at the skies from earlier until now,”** he stated, letting Minho know of his observation. The younger moved to also watch the heavens. **“I could not deny that the night is beautiful, so it is not questionable you are in awe.”**

Minho attempted to take a breath, reminding himself that anyone could ask whether he loved stars or not. He pinched the skin on his knees and remained quiet, not answering or replying to the younger man.

It seemed Man Jeongsi didn’t mind, though, as he continued to speak. **“I am the same, _hyeong-nim_ ,”** he said. **“I am in love with the stars.”** Man Jeongsi replaced his focus on the other man, his eyes shining as it reflected the constellations. It was as if he was confessing something to the universe.

And Minho swallowed. The wind blew again, leaving a strange feeling on his skin. He could taste something odd on his tongue as if it was a warning. He wanted to look away from the younger’s deep gaze, but at the same, he didn’t. It was bizarre, all of it.

It only felt more peculiar when Man Jeongsi, without breaking eye contact, decided to say, **“I wish I was named after a star or a constellation. Or I could just be called ‘Byeol.’”**

**“Or ‘Sung,’”** Minho blurted out, his heart pounding so loud against his rib cage. He wondered if he was the only one who can hear it.

Man Jeongsi furrowed his eyebrows, breaking his apparent reverie. **“What?”**

**Author's Note:**

> misscuriouscat:  
> \+ this is like... 1,400 words only out of the 27,600 (and counting!) that's already been written  
> \+ this is also... one lifetime only — minsung will meet again


End file.
